Fence



(No Model.)

V. P. MOUNT.

FENCE.

No. 556,832. Patented Mar. 24. 1896.

Inna-11:01,

ANDREW B GRAHAM.PMUTO-LITNEWRSNING'OND C UNITED STATES PATENT UEEicE.

VOORHEES FRANK MOUNT, OF HOMER, MICHIGAN.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,832, dated March 24:, 1896.

A li ation filed November 22, 1894. $erial No. 529,555. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VOORHEES FRANK MOUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the village of Homer, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wire fences and relates more particularly to the crossstrands of the fence which unite the longitudinal strands together and an improved means for applying the same to the fence.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide in a fence improved means of attaching the crossstrands so that they will beheld securely and not be liable to longitudinal movement along the wires 3 second, to provide an improved means of applying the wire; third, to provide against the possible kinking and bending of the cross-strands of the fence; fourth, to provide improved means whereby the top wire of the fence can be depressed without at all interfering with or bending the strands or injuring the fence. I accomplish these objects of my invention by the devices shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side view of a wire fence embodying my invention, no posts and only a part of the usual number of strands being shown. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the little arrows; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view through my improved means for applying the wire to a fence.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A A A A A represent the longitudinal strands of a fence.

B B represent the cross-strands of the same, which consist of wires twisted together, which are attached to the next to the top wire of the fence by winding the wires around the same, as indicated at B. The strands are attached to the remaining lower wires by winding the wire D around the same, by passing the loop twice around the strand and wire and then the ends around into position, as indicated at D D. This winding the wire square at the end and looping it around both the longitudi- "nal strand and the cross-wire in the diagonal direction secures the same in such a manner as to bind upon both the longitudinal strand A and also on the cross-strand B of the fence. IVith the ordinary means in use for applying this wire it would be extremely difficult to place itupon the fence. I, however, have provided special means for accomplishing the result which enables it to be done with greater rapidity than any other fence-machine can be operated. This means consists of a spool E, with thickened smooth ends for handles, on which the wire is wound, and a bolt F extends through the spool, on which the spool revolves as on an axis, and is curved around opposite the body of the spool and wire, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and the wire passes through an. eyelet e in the end bolt. This bolt serves in applying the wire to act as a lever, the spool being taken in the hand, and it wraps the wire around very effectively and, as I said before, with great ease and rapidity, making it possible for a man to put up a very large amount of fence in a day in. this way.

The tops of the fences where the crossstrands are used, as heretofore constructed, have been very difficult to maintain in their position. Such animals as horses resting their necks upon the top wire and attempting to reach over the fence would depress the top wire and bend the strand at a short angle, and when the strand was bent in that way it would hold the top wire down and thus destroy much of the effectiveness of the fence, besides materially interfering with the outline of the fence, and after the process has been repeated a number of times the cross strands would become broken off and their effectiveness entirely destroyed.

I overcome these objections by the wire loops 0, which are hooked onto the next to the top wire and looped over the top wire A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The top ends of the strand B are divided and looped around the next to the top strands of the fence to each side of these loops 0. This retains them in place and prevents any longitudinal movement of the same along the wires of the fence. The loops 0 where they are looped over the next to the top wire are left comparatively loose, so that the tension on the top wire will allow it to spring up into a straight line; but

when it is depressed it passes down inside the loop 0, and consequently, as will be readily seen, does not kink the cross-strands B of the fence. Then the pressure is removed, the wire A immediately springs back to place. The construction as I have shown it also allows of horses or other animals placing their necks on the top wire of the fence and moving it along the same, the loops Obeing loosely attached, tipping down to allow easy passage over the same and springing back when the pressure is removed. I have constructed the fence with these loops rigid, but they are open to the objection that animals moving in this way would depress the loops and have. somewhat the same effect that they would have on an ordinary rigid strand, though not to so great a degree.

I desire to state that my improved fence can be considerably varied in its details without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fence, the combination of the longitudinal strands,A; cross-strands,B,composed of doubled and twisted wire extending to next to the top wire, the upper ends of the strand being separated a little distance below the next to the top strand and extended in opposite directions and coiled around said strand; short wires, D, wound twice around the crossstrand and the lower longitudinal strand so as to engage closely in the irregularities caused by the twisting the cross-strand and extending outwardly to each side and coiled around said longitudinal strand; wire loops, 0, looped over the top wire in a long loop to permit the depression of the top wires and attached to next to the top wire between the op- 2. In a fence, the combination of the longij tudinal wires; cross-strands composed of doubled and twisted wire attached to the same extending from the bottom to next to the top wire where the ends are a little separated and wound around the strand in opposite directions to form an opening between the strand and stay ends; a wire loop from next to the top wire over the top wire secured in the space between the ends of the crossstrands on next to the top wire by small eyes or kinks so that the said wire loop is loosely pivoted in place and can be depressed without kinking, and will so allow the top wire to be freely depressed and to return to its original position without injury, as specified.

3. In a fence, the longitudinal strands; the cross-strands composed of doubled and twisted Wires; wires, D, looped twice around both the cross-strands and longitudinal strands to engage in depressions formed by twisting the cross-strands, and extended to each side of said cross-strands and wound upon the longitudinal strands to retain the same firmly together, as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

VOORI-IEES FRANK MOUNT.

Vitnesses:

L. B. TOMPKINS, J ESSIE ROBARDS. 

